Cheshire, Conn., USA - November 11, 2014, Cheshire, Conn., USA - Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, announced the planned retirement of company co-founder Stephen Squinto, effective January 1, 2015.
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Dr. Squinto currently serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Global Operations Officer. He co-founded Alexion in 1992 with Leonard Bell, M.D., the Company’s principal founder and current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Dr. Squinto has held numerous leadership positions at Alexion prior to his current role, including Executive Vice President, Head of Research and Development.
While in that role Dr. Squinto led the development of eculizumab for patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, resulting in a second approved indication for Soliris (eculizumab) in the United States, Europe and Japan. He also contributed significantly to Alexion’s acquisition and further development of asfotase alfa as a potential treatment for patients with hypophosphatasia.
Upon Dr. Squinto’s retirement from Alexion on January 1, 2015, he will be the Chair of a newly formed Scientific Advisory Board that will provide strategic input into Alexion’s discovery science and pipeline.
With Dr. Squinto’s retirement, and as part of Alexion’s established succession planning, Alexion announces the promotion of Julie O’Neill to the position of Executive Vice President, Global Operations, effective January 1, 2015.
Ms. O’Neill joined Alexion in February 2014 as Senior Vice President, Global Manufacturing Operations, serving simultaneously as Alexion’s General Manager for Ireland.
Prior to joining Alexion, Ms. O’Neill held leadership positions in pharmaceutical manufacturing and quality for more than 20 years. Most recently, she was Vice President of Operations and General Manager for Ireland at Gilead Sciences, where she established the company’s Irish subsidiary and plant operations and held other cross-functional global leadership roles.
Previously, Ms. O’Neill held leadership positions in operations, manufacturing and quality functions at Burnil Pharmacies and Helsinn Birex Pharmaceuticals. She serves as the Chairperson for the National Standards Authority of Ireland and is a member of the Governing Body of University College Cork, and is a past president of the Irish Business Employers’ Confederation. ■